140 EXTINCT MONSTERS 



only in outline. It was discovered in 1902 in Montana, U.S., by 

 the members of an expedition for the American Museum of 

 Natural History in Cretaceous rocks below the Laramie beds. 

 Previous discoveries were made in 1856, 1866, 1868, 1876, 1892, 

 and 1900. A specimen found in the last-named year was 

 described under the name of Dynamosaurus, thus indicating the 

 strength of the beast. It seems to have been contemporary with 

 the Ceratosauria, to be described later on (p. 184). Allosaurus and 

 Laelaps were related forms. The limb-bones in all these forms 

 are hollow. 



Another remarkably bird-like form of Dinosaur, also found by 

 Professor Osborn at Como Bluffs, is the Ornitholestes, an active 

 little creature, which seems to have walked on its hind legs only, 

 like a bird. The hind limb is extremely bird-like and resembles 

 that of the oldest known bird, Archseopteryx (see p. 213) with 

 its back claw. The hand also is very bird-like, the digits being 

 armed with strong claws. Its bones are hollow (in fact mere 

 shells), another bird-like feature. The present writer was so 

 much struck by the resemblance between this skeleton and that 

 of Archseopteryx, that he even ventured to suggest that possibly 

 this supposed Dinosaur may have been a bird, perhaps the first 

 bird that ever existed ! 



It is perhaps hardly necessary to remark that to any one 

 thoroughly acquainted with the structures of living animals, a 

 tooth, or a series of teeth, will furnish material from which 

 important conclusions with regard to the structure and habits of 

 an extinct animal may be drawn. So also with regard to some 

 other parts, such as limb-bones, but more especially the bones of 

 which the back-bone is composed (known as vertebrae). Professor 

 Owen has said, " If I were restricted to a single specimen on 

 which to deduce the nature of an extinct animal, I should choose 



